Folding coop.



No. 639,628. Patented Dec. |9,1l899. c. H. THoMsEN & H. .1. M.' JRGENsEN..

FOLDING COUP. (Application lad Aug. 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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CARL n. THoMsEN AND HERMAN J. M. JEGENsEN, or MEMPHIS,

TENNESSEE.

FOLDING COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,628, dated December 19, 1899. Application filed August 19, 1899. Serial No. 727,797. (No modcl.l

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CARL Il'. THOMsEN and HERMAN J. M. JEGENsEN, of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Folding Coop, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of ourinvention is to provide a light, simple, and durable coop especially adapted for poultry and capable of being conveniently folded for shipment when empty and of being quickly set up when required for use.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the folding coop that there will be no parts or pieces to be removed, undone, loosened, swung, or in any way moved in order to form the coop. Consequently no pieces will be lost or broken or Will become misplaced or get out of shape, as none are to be fitted or fastened when the coop is to be set up.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved coop set up for use; and Fig. 2 is a section taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the coop being in folded position.

The coop consists, practically, of three parts-a bottom section A,a top section B, and aconnectinglink-section C. Both the top and bottom sections of the coop are preferably square or polygonal. The bottom section A is preferably made of wood or other light yet durable material and comprises a base 10 and a marginal sill 11, and said sill is so fitted together when its members connect 4that there are no pockets on the inside to harbor dirt.

The top section B is likewise preferably made of wood, and consists of a frame 12, of corresponding contour to the contour of the bottom or base section, and parallel crossbars 13, which are neatly tted into opposing members of the frame, together with slats 14:, that extend from one side of the frame to the other transversely of the upper faces of theirends, as shown in Fig. 2, adapted to have sliding movementiu longitudinal grooves 17,

. made in the inner faces of the said cross-bars 13. The frame of the door thus constructed carries a lattice or screen Work of any desired construction, and one of the bottom bars 17 is made to carrya bow-spring 18. Said spring enters a lower longitudinal groove 19, made in one of the cross-bars 13.A Thus it will be observed that the door D, no matter to what position it may be moved, is perfectlyguided and does not need a lock of any description.

The connecting-section C consists of a series of links 20, which links are provided at the top and at the bottom with an eye 20, and these eyes are pivotally connected with orreceive staples 21, which are driven, respectively, into the upper face of the marginal sill of the bottom section A and into the under face of the frame 12 of the upper section B.

The top section is adapted to be folded4 down parallel and practically upon the lower section, but does not engagewith the lower section, owing to the intervention of the pivoted connecting-links 20; but the mannerin which these links 2O are attached to the upper and lower sections permits one section to be brought in close relation to the other.

At the sides of the connecting-section in direction of which the upper section B folds link braces 22 are located. These braces cross one another, and each brace has pivotal connection at one end with the under' face of the frame of the upper section near its corner, and at the opposite end the said link has pivotal connection with the sill of the base-section, at the diagonally-opposing corner thereof. The pivotal portions of the brace-links 22 are at right angles to the pivotal portions of the connecting-links 20, with which they have concerted action, and owing IOO to snchdisposition of the brace-links 22 they are unaffected by the movementof the top section B and connecting-section C and in either the upper or the lower positions of said sections perform their functions as braces.

The coop is maintained in its set-up position by means of locking-arms E, that are located inside of the coop at the sides which are at right angles to those sides carrying t-he brace-links 22. Each locking-arm is preferably made in two sections, an upper section 23 and a lower section 24, the upper section being pivoted to the inside of the frame l2, while the lower section of each .locking-arm is pivoted to the inside of the sill 11, and the two sections of the arm are pivotally connected, the pivot-point 25 being near the lower end of the upper section, but between the center and upper end of the lower section of a locking-arm. The upper section 23 of each locking-arm is provided with an opening 26, adapted when the coop is set up to receive a lug 27, which is projected from the upper end of the'lower section 2i of a locking-arm.

We desire it to be understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the form of locking device E illustrated, as any other device capable of performing the same functions may be substituted.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Afolding coop, comprising an upper and a lower section, and a pivoted con meeting-section comprising a series of links having eyes at their upper and lower ends, and keepers passed loosely through the said eyes and into opposing surfaces of said upper and lower sections, brace-links located at opposite sides of the coop and pivotally connected at their ends with the upper and lower sections, and locking-arms adapted to hold the sections in setup position, as described.

2. A folding coop, consisting of a bottom and an upper section, a series of links connecting the two sections, each link being provided with an upper and a lower eye, and staples passed loosely through the eyes and into opposing faces of said upper and lower sections, and brace-links located at the sides of the coop in direction of which the top section folds, the said links being attached at their ends at opposite corners of the top and bottom sections, crossing one another, the pivots of the said brace-links being at right angles to the pivots of the connecting-links at said sides of the coop, whereby the brace-links maintain their bracing action in both the setup and in the folded position of the coop, and means, substantially as described, for lookin g the coop in its upright or set-up position.

A'folding coop, comprising a top and a bottom section, and a connecting-section cornprising a series of links pivoted at their ends to said top and bottom sections, and lockingarms adapted to hold the sections in set-up position, said locking-arms each comprising an upper section pivoted to the top section of the coop and a lower section pivoted to the bottom section of the coop, the two sections of the locking-arm being pivotally connected with each other and adapted when the coop is set up to interlock with each other, substantially as described.

4. A folding coop, comprising an upper and a lower section, a connecting-section comprising a series of links pivoted at their ends to the said upper and lower sections, brace-links located at-two opposite sides of the coop, and havin g pivotal connection with the upper and lower sections of the coop, and locking-arms located at the other sides of the coop and adapted to hold the sectionsin set-u p position, substantially as specified.

CARL H. THOMSEN. HERMAN J. M. JORGENSEN.

lVitn'esses:

B. M. CARAWAY, L. E. THORNTON. 

